


Beyond Duty

by snooperj, TheDarkShadow



Series: Our Last Stand [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awkwardness, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-28
Updated: 2013-01-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 05:17:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/658396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snooperj/pseuds/snooperj, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkShadow/pseuds/TheDarkShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick Fury and Agent Maria Hill are experts in their field; trained to do most anything flawlessly. But even they couldn't resist the temptation of going astray and letting their feelings get in the way of their work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unnoticed Tension

Nick Fury was tired. Physically and emotionally. Long after he had given the go signal to the Avengers to have free reign and go off wherever they pleased, he set his sights and attention on overseeing the repairs of the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and the Quinjet. It wasn't going to be a quick fix, that was for sure. But thankfully he wasn't directly involved in any of that.

After all, he had more pressing factors to worry about. He had found out from the medics shortly after landing the Quinjet for repairs that Phil Coulson had actually survived a stab that should have killed him. They medics explained that the wound, while fatal, miraculously missed his heart, so were immediately given the affirmative to rush the agent to the hospital for emergency treatment.

Fury was inwardly happy. He trusted Coulson with all the dirty work - after all, what agent would be capable of knocking some sense into Tony Stark and talk praise to Thor without knowing any better? Fury paused to consider things.  _Was_  there someone else? The eye-patched veteran shifted his attention to one of his other agents - Maria Hill. This one, in contrast to Coulson, had her own views about the situation that Fury often shot down due to the impending events that liked to unfold. But this wasn't to say Fury had outright disagreed with them. It was all a matter of urgency.

On any other occasion, Nick Fury found himself without a better topic to discuss with the agent and, as far as he was concerned, that troubled him. He normally always found something to talk about, but it was a different case for Maria Hill. Why was that, he wondered?

 _'Today will be different,'_  he thought to himself; a mantra he had been telling himself every single time he plucked up the courage to talk to her about something off the record; something casual. Fury took a deep breath and exhaled before stepping out from his room and made a familiar way towards the younger agent's quarters.

 _'Today there will be progress,'_  Fury added in afterthought; the second part of his mantra.


	2. Roaming Thoughts and Avengers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria reflects on the fact that their best team had dispersed and that she had now found a little time to let her thoughts roam on a particular topic she'd rather not dwell on.

The helicarrier was still far from being completely repaired. It was now at sea level once again as the multitude of engineers and electricians they had on hand continued to work on the mammoth ship. A lot of the soldiers had flown home to their families after the big ruckus with Loki had already died down. They all had someone to go home to.

Maria Hill, however, didn't have anyone to go back to. Thus why she stayed to oversee the repairs going on and continued to coordinate the people left on the ship.

The Avengers, aside from Clint have left to who knows where. None of them really filed for a leave so where they were was anyone's guess. Well...except maybe Tony Stark, since he had been on Television every now and again. He was never far from the spotlight. Whenever he did pop up, though, Maria couldn't help but feel tense. After all, among the most affected when Fury called in Coulson's death was Tony Stark AND Steve Rogers.

Coulson was on the road to recovery but none of the Avengers knew this. She could only imagine the chaos this would bring once they do find out.

These were one of the times that she wished Natasha had stayed behind. She could always use the female company. Unfortunately for her, Natasha had been assigned to train a potential new recruit from Asgard. A warrior that had been sent for immediate back-up in case anything otherworldly happened again. Natasha never told them where she would be taking Sif but Maria supposed that they'd have a tough time looking for it even if they really tried.

Another case was Banner. He was a ticking time bomb that, in her opinion, shouldn't be left out on his own. Then again they haven't gotten any word of Hulk-related attacks lately so maybe the doctor had it under control.

And then there was the Director. The man that caused Maria's latest headaches. The man continued to work like a machine and she was yet to see him relax. If she thought about it, she had just seen him lurking about earlier and declined when she had offered him coffee.

Sighing heavily, she walked away from the deck to head inside. She had a Director to find, tie down and feed. The rest of her musings could wait until later.


	3. Courage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fury finds himself outside Hill's quarters, plucking up the courage to talk to her about something other than work. Something personal.

Fury's stomach grumbled. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten a proper meal. Things have ultimately been hectic and stressful for the commander of the Avengers. Fury admitted he feigned any dignified way of appeasing his hunger until he was absolutely sure that things were going to go smoothly - Coulson's recovery and the repair of the Quinjet to full restoration.

Now that both were well under way, he no longer had an excuse. His stomach seemed to grumble in time to that train of thought. But right now, all he felt were butterflies in there. He stared long and hard at the door in front of him before he heard approaching footsteps. He froze when he recognized this person to be the exact woman he had been plucking up the courage to talk to - Maria Hill.

"How are things Agent Hill?" Fury asked in his usual professional tone, which he swatted away immediately. Wrong foot to start on, so he corrected himself. "You seem tired," he observed. He let a moment skip before he continued. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something; something of great importance."

Personally Fury didn't enjoy the idea of overfrosting the cake. Yes, the matter held some importance, but the gravity of it being great was an illusion only in his mind. He needed this out of the way. To be more precise, he needed to let this out into the open before he was too late.

He took the opportunity to walk into his office; surely a more private setting. He walked up to his desk and took a much needed seat and turned to face her. "Do you have a private moment to spare?"


	4. Landmines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria starts to wonder if it was a good idea to walk in on Fury while thinking of the best ways to tie him up in his chair.

Maria Hill was listing down around 20 ways she could tackle and tie Nick Fury up the moment she had gotten her hands on some decent rope or cable in the man's office. The construction provided her a lot of materials as they were literally scattered everywhere. She had been thinking of Taijutsu, really when she walked up to her quarters and was taken by surprise by the question thrown to her by the director.

"All repairs are going according to their schedule," she reported dutifully before furrowing her brows. "And no sir, I'm not tired at all." She had, after all, managed to take some coffee before she had decided to walk all the way here.

What was this bit about talking about something important? Was there another threat coming? Maria inwardly groaned. This is turning up to be more and more of a challenge each passing moment.

"I have all the time in the world right now, sir," she answered with a smile before walking up to Fury's desk and stopped when she was directly in front of it. She figured it would be easier to tie him down from that angle. Maybe a lasso would do.

She looked around the office and saw a few spare electric cables there. Perfect just what she needed.

She supposed she could hear Fury out for a few minutes before she goes cowgirl on him.


	5. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Maria standing right in front of him, Fury decides to take the plunge and come out with what he's had to hide.

Fury slowly leaned back on his chair, as if contemplating how to begin. He laced his hands together and closed his one eye. It was time to gather his wits. "I'm afraid I've been compromised," he began. Blunt, and vague. Not a good start. "There was something I never got to tell you before all this got out of control," he continued, deciding to ride it out and set everything down as needed for later on.

He ignored the grumbling complaints his stomach often tried to throw at him; he'd deal with that later... assuming he didn't faint from starvation first. Fury had more important things to attend to at this point anyway. He shifted in his chair. "I haven't exactly relaxed, and I'm sure you've noticed that. So I think I at least owe YOU an explanation." He opened his eye again and locked gazes with her before he continued.

"The reality is... I cannot thank you enough for the command and support you've done thus far. But you are also one of the prevailing reasons why I can't rest easy." Fury paused for a moment to consider his next few sentences. Here was where it mattered. Slowly, he rose to his feet and circled his desk until he was inches from her. "You make me feel things I cannot begin to fathom; make me lose my words and just leave me in a silent mass of mental confusion trying to figure this all out. But just yesterday, I finally figured out why." He paused again for a brief second before his hand twitched. He moved it swiftly so he took Maria's hand in his. "I think... I've fallen for you, Maria Hill."


	6. Hint of a Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria always liked playing with her prey whenever the opportunity allows her to.

The corner of Maria's lips quirked and she fought the urge to smile as she heard what Fury had said. "Compromised" it was an interesting choice of wording, she had to admit. It showed how much Fury seemed to be conflicted with himself because of all this that was going on in his mind.

Maria decided she could play around for a while.

"That's very alarming to hear, sir," she told him, managing to school her expression to show a rather serious face. "Is this the reason why you are letting your health deteriorate like this? I have heard from the staff that you are yet to touch the food provisions that was set aside for you," she scolded.

She then sighed and took a step to the side. "Perhaps I should take responsibility for what has happened," she said before taking another step to the side and ended up standing directly in front of Fury.

She then smiled and leaned forward, placing her lips by his ear. "If you stop torturing yourself, Director Fury, I will find it even more irresistible to... _compromise_  you," she whispered before pulling back.

Oh this was going to be good. After all, now she had more leverage to make sure this hunk of a man gets decently fed this time.

Oh yes. Things were looking up for Maria Hill.


	7. Compromise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the new realization of Maria Hill's reciprocation of his feelings - at least that was how he understood it - after his confession, Fury inwardly breathes a sigh of relief. This didn't turn out so bad as he had thought it'd end up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter before the big collaboration! This one happens simultaneously with our ThorxLoki fic in the series, 'Despite All Odds'.

Fury couldn't help but let out a smirk at hearing these words. It looks like the more playful side of Agent Hill was out. He knew this side fairly well, but never really adapted to it as much as he would have liked to. They were both busy with their own work, after all. "Food sounds good," he said. As if on cue, he heard his stomach growl, causing the eye-patched man to look away stiffly in embarrassment.

"And quite frankly, I never really meant to deprive myself," he defended. "I just lost track of time," he reasoned out further.

Well, that was a half-baked response, but at least it had some semblance of an explanation. One that Maria would hopefully bite on.

"Director Fury, we're approaching the Mansion. Shall we prepare you for drop-off?" called a voice from the other side of his door.

Another distraction. Just what the man needed. "Get a chopper prepped and ready for transfer. For myself and Agents Hill and Coulson," Fury instructed in a raised voice, not taking his eyes off Maria as he did so.

"Sir!" Audible footsteps were heard moving away from the office as Fury wrapped an arm around Maria's waist and pulled her close.

"Let's get off this hunk of metal. I think I prefer my feet to feel the earth once in a while," he said before giving the agent a sensual kiss and pulled her away as they ate for the meantime. The same officer returned and announced that the chopper was fueled and ready for transport.

"Agent Coulson's already strapped in and onboard sir," the man said with a salute.

"Thank you soldier," Fury said before leading Maria to said aerial vehicle. They climbed in and nodded to Coulson who was more than happy to join them, and they lifted smoothly off the Quinjet and took a 10 minute flight to the Avengers Mansion - their new place of residence.

Shortly upon arriving, the chopper lifted off just as a heavy clap of thunder erupted and a brief whirlpool from the clouds began to form. It was a familiar sight. Dark clouds sifted and lingered for a while longer before finally clearing, and a man - or a demi-god stepped forward. It was someone he knew well and in his arms was another familiar face - one who had not so long ago, threatened to dominate the Earth and wage war.

Standing before them were Thor and Loki of Asgard.

 **"Director Fury,"**  the demi-god addressed as he stopped in front of Fury.  **"I'm afraid that I am in need of your assistance."**

Fury regarded him for a moment, but one look told him that there was sincerity in Thor's plea, and the state Loki was in was humbling compared to their last confrontation. For one so proud to have to ask for assistance was something, or that something much bigger than they were the cause of the god of thunder's dismay. "Get inside," he instructed, gesturing towards the Mansion. Something inside of him knew that with this unexpected turn of events, he might have to call in the group of misfits once more.

"Your orders, Director Fury?" Coulson asked, hobbling over after spotting Thor carry Loki inside.

"Assemble the Avengers."


End file.
